Heterogeneity in the projections and excitability of tyraminergic/octopaminergic neurons that innervate the reproductive tract.

Aminergic nuclei in mammals are generally composed of relatively small numbers of cells with broad projection patterns. Despite the gross similarity of many individual neurons, recent transcriptomic, anatomic and behavioral studies suggest previously unsuspected diversity. Smaller clusters of aminergic neurons in the model organism provide an opportunity to explore the ramifications of neuronal diversity at the level of individual cells.

Expression and potential regulatory functions of Drosophila octopamine receptors in the female reproductive tract.

Aminergic signaling is known to play a critical role in regulating female reproductive processes in both mammals and insects. In Drosophila, the ortholog of noradrenaline, octopamine, is required for ovulation as well as several other female reproductive processes. Two octopamine receptors have already been shown to be expressed in the Drosophila reproductive tract and to be required for egg-laying: OAMB and Octβ2R.

Environment rather than breed or body site shapes the skin bacterial community of healthy sheep as revealed by metabarcoding.

Background: The skin is inhabited by a variety of micro-organisms, with bacteria representing the predominant taxon of the skin microbiome. In sheep, the skin bacterial community of healthy animals has been addressed in few studies, only with culture-based methods or sequencing of cloned amplicons.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to determine the sheep skin bacterial community composition by using metabarcoding for a detailed characterisation and to determine the effect of body part, breed and environment.

Precise CRISPR-Cas9-mediated mutation of a membrane trafficking domain in the vesicular monoamine transporter gene.

Monoamine neurotransmitters such as noradrenalin are released from both synaptic vesicles (SVs) and large dense-core vesicles (LDCVs), the latter mediating extrasynaptic signaling. The contribution of synaptic versus extrasynaptic signaling to circuit function and behavior remains poorly understood. To address this question, we have previously used transgenes encoding a mutation in the Vesicular Monoamine Transporter () that shifts amine release from SVs to LDCVs.

cells that express octopamine receptors can either inhibit or promote oviposition.

Adrenergic signaling is known to play a critical role in regulating female reproductive processes in both mammals and insects. In , the ortholog of noradrenaline, octopamine (Oa), is required for ovulation as well as several other female reproductive processes. Loss of function studies using mutant alleles of receptors, transporters, and biosynthetic enzymes for Oa have led to a model in which disruption of octopaminergic pathways reduces egg laying.

Regulation of oviduct muscle contractility by octopamine.

Octopamine is essential for egg-laying in , but the neuronal pathways and receptors by which it regulates visceral muscles in the reproductive tract are not known. We find that the two octopamine receptors that have been previously implicated in egg-laying- and -are expressed in octopaminergic and glutamatergic neurons that project to the reproductive tract, peripheral ppk(+) neurons within the reproductive tract and epithelial cells that line the lumen of the oviducts. Further optogenetic and mutational analyses indicate that octopamine regulates both oviduct contraction and relaxation via and respectively.

Sema-1a Reverse Signaling Promotes Midline Crossing in Response to Secreted Semaphorins.

Commissural axons must cross the midline to form functional midline circuits. In the invertebrate nerve cord and vertebrate spinal cord, midline crossing is mediated in part by Netrin-dependent chemoattraction. Loss of crossing, however, is incomplete in mutants for Netrin or its receptor Frazzled/DCC, suggesting the existence of additional pathways.

Temporal evolution of bacterial communities associated with the in situ wetland-based remediation of a marine shore porphyry copper tailings deposit.

Mine tailings are a serious threat to the environment and public health. Remediation of these residues can be carried out effectively by the activation of specific microbial processes. This article presents detailed information about temporal changes in bacterial community composition during the remediation of a section of porphyry copper tailings deposited on the Bahía de Ite shoreline (Peru).

The metabolic and muscular differences between two stair-climbing strategies of young adults.

When climbing stairs, there are 2 practical strategies, contact each step with alternating feet (single) or contact every other step (double) with alternating feet. Our purpose was to evaluate the metabolic cost and muscular activity of these single and double stair-climbing strategies. We hypothesized that metabolic cost would not differ between the 2 strategies, because the subjects would complete the 2 protocols with a similar speed that would minimize cost.

Statistical assessment of variability of terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis applied to complex microbial communities.

The variability of terminal restriction fragment polymorphism analysis applied to complex microbial communities was assessed statistically. Recent technological improvements were implemented in the successive steps of the procedure, resulting in a standardized procedure which provided a high level of reproducibility.

Pharmacology of intracellular cytosine-arabinoside-5'-triphosphate in malignant cells of pediatric patients with initial or relapsed leukemia and in normal lymphocytes.

Purpose: The prodrug cytosinearabinoside (ara-C) is widely used in the treatment of acute leukemias. The active drug is the intracellular metabolite cytosine-arabinoside-5'-triphosphate (ara-CTP). The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relation between sensitivity and pharmacokinetic parameters Cmax, t1/2 and AUC of ara-CTP.

A novel four-colour flow cytometric assay to determine natural killer cell or T-cell-mediated cellular cytotoxicity against leukaemic cells in peripheral or bone marrow specimens containing greater than 20% of normal cells.

To be able to determine the cytotoxic activity of NK cells or T cells against leukaemic cells in patient samples containing >20% of normal peripheral blood cells, we have developed a four-colour flow cytometric cytotoxicity assay. The assay is based on differential immunostaining of both leukaemic cells and effector cells in combination with propidium iodide (PI). The cytometer is set for measuring the fluorescence of the monoclonal antibody (mAb) bound fluorochromes, with moderate overcompensation of the third and fourth fluorescence signals.

TAP binds to the constitutive transport element (CTE) through a novel RNA-binding motif that is sufficient to promote CTE-dependent RNA export from the nucleus.

The constitutive transport element (CTE) of the simian type D retroviruses overcomes nuclear retention and allows nuclear export of unspliced viral RNAs by recruiting TAP, a host factor which is thought to be required for export of cellular mRNAs. In this report, we show that the first 372 amino acid residues of TAP, comprising a stretch of leucine-rich repeats, are both necessary and sufficient for binding to the CTE RNA and promoting its export to the cytoplasm. Moreover, like the full-length protein, this domain migrates to the cytoplasm upon nuclear co-injection with the CTE RNA.

A bacterial signal peptide directs efficient secretion of eukaryotic proteins in the baculovirus expression system.

Escherichia coli remains an organism of choice for the production of recombinant proteins required in large quantities. Whenever possible, secretion is the preferred strategy since it permits easy and efficient purification from the extracellular medium. Our efforts to use E.

Logarithmic quantitation model using serum ferritin to estimate iron overload in secondary haemochromatosis.

Nineteen children and adolescents receiving repeated transfusions and subcutaneous desferrioxamine treatment were investigated in an attempt to quantitate iron overload non-invasively. Before patients were started on desferrioxamine individual relationships were correlated for 12 to 36 months between transfused iron, absorbed iron estimated gastrointestinally, and increasing serum ferritin concentrations. Patients with inflammation, increased liver enzymes, or haemolysis were excluded from analysis.

Formation of cytosine arabinoside-5'-triphosphate in different cultured lymphoblastic leukaemic cells with reference to their drug sensitivity.

The accumulation of intracellular cytosine arabinoside-5'-triphosphate (Ara-CTP) is determined in five lymphoblastic cell lines: Molt 4, H9 and three newly established cell lines from paediatric patients, KFB-1, KFB-2, KFT-1. The cell lines KFB-1 and KFB-2 are B-lymphoblastic (B-ALL), the others are T-lymphoblastic leukaemic cells (T-ALL). The Ara-CTP levels were compared with the sensitivity of the cells to Ara-C.

[In vitro and in vivo effect of thyroid hormones on the growth of neuroblastoma cells. I. The effect of triiodothyronine in vitro].

The effect of triiodothyronine (T3) on the differentiation of cultured neuroblastoma (NB) cells was studied after 9 days of treatment with a dose of 10(-4) M/10(6) cells per day. Using phase contrast microscopy, 30-50% of NB cells showed formation of neurites as a morphological sign of cellular differentiation. The initial rise of the mitosis rate was followed by a plateau.

Histopathological findings in the central and peripheral nervous systems in neuroborreliosis. A report of three cases.

Very little is known about tissue changes and pathophysiological mechanisms in Garin-Boujadoux-Bannwarth syndrome. We report histopathological findings in the central and peripheral nervous systems of three typical cases. In the acute stage of the disease mononuclear perivascular infiltrations with mainly T-helper cells were the prominent finding, whereas after treatment there was no vessel involvement.

Occurrence of MRI abnormalities in patients with isolated optic neuritis.

24 patients with clinically isolated optic neuritis (ON) were examined with MRI. Only 5 patients (22.9%) had a normal MRI scan.

Panencephalopathic type of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease with primary extensive involvement of white matter.

The case of a 66-year-old woman with atypical Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (CJD) presents several peculiarities. Pathologic examination confirmed a rare CJD case with primary generalized spongiform changes of the white matter and only moderate, but typical changes of the gray matter. Besides an essentially typical clinical course, the patient developed temporary diplopia and vertical eye movement paralysis.

Meningoradiculitis and encephalomyelitis due to Borrelia burgdorferi: a follow-up study of 72 patients over 27 years.

In 1987, follow-up studies were conducted on 72 patients who had had meningoradiculitis and encephalomyelitis (8 patients) due to Borrelia burgdorferi 5-27 years previously. These patients had not been treated with antibiotics, either during the acute disease or during the interval prior to follow-up studies. The patients had exhibited the typical symptoms of Bannwarth's syndrome during the acute phase.